As good news from the front kept pouring in, Danzo's mood improved with each passing day.
When the latest report about Minato driving back the Hidden Cloud reinforcements reached Danzo, he read it without changing expression. He clenched the report in both hands, then slowly set it back down on the desk.
"Tell Danzo to come see me."
Ever since the war began, whenever good news came back from the front, Danzo had always sent for Hiruzen Sarutobi to come to his office, where he would personally hand the battle report to his old friend.
Danzo wanted to prove to Hiruzen Sarutobi that he was a far better Hokage than his old friend had been.
Each victory was the best proof.
A little over ten minutes later, an Anbu Ninja appeared before the desk, head respectfully bowed. "Lord Hokage, Elder Danzo says he already knows about the latest news from the front and doesn't need to come over."
Danzo furrowed his brow slightly and said in a low voice, "Tell him to come. Otherwise, I'll go to him myself."
"Yes, sir!"
With that, the Anbu Ninja left the office.
About twenty minutes later, the office door opened, and the familiar figure Danzo had been waiting for appeared in his sight.
Danzo signaled for all the Anbu to leave. Only he and Hiruzen Sarutobi remained in the office.
"Danzo, this is the latest report from the front. Take a good look." Danzo set the report on the desk and pushed it toward Hiruzen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he looked at the report, then at Danzo's calm but smug expression. He felt Danzo was showing off to him again.
When the first report of good news came back from the front, Danzo had summoned him. Hiruzen had thought they really needed to analyze the situation, so he hadn't thought much of it.
But after several summons, Hiruzen Sarutobi had figured out the real reason Danzo kept calling him in. It had nothing to do with analyzing the situation or worrying about the front.
The man simply wanted to boast to him that, as Hokage, he had led Konoha to victory.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't pick up the report on the desk. Instead, he looked straight at Danzo.
"I've already learned about the situation at the front through Root. Don't bother me with trivial matters like this again."
"Trivial? Danzo, do you know what you're saying? This is a crucial battle that concerns the village's interests." Danzo had found his excuse. He slapped the desk and stood up.
"Danzo, I'm very disappointed in you. You used to work tirelessly for the village and never dared slack off. How did you end up like this?"
Danzo pointed at Hiruzen Sarutobi, looking heartbroken and indignant.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was so enraged by Danzo's shamelessness that he nearly choked. He glared at him and snapped, "Did you call me here to analyze the battle? Don't think I can't see the darkness in your heart!"
"Darkness?" Danzo looked surprised. "Hiruzen, you've misunderstood me. I called you here because I'm worried about the front and wanted someone to advise me."
"You wouldn't let some personal differences make you incapable of separating public matters from private ones, would you?"
"You!" Faced with the accusation, Hiruzen Sarutobi trembled with anger.
Danzo smiled like a victor, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi. He picked up the battle report and held it out to his old friend. "All right. Take a good look at this report and see if you spot any problems."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and worked to steady his emotions before accepting the report and reading it carefully.
A few minutes later, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at Danzo. "From here, we just need to hold our lines and keep intercepting the Hidden Cloud reinforcements."
"The Fourth Raikage took the position in a rush. To protect his authority, he can't abandon the Hidden Cloud shinobi trapped inside the encirclement. Even if he knows our plan, he has no choice but to attack head-on."
Danzo laughed smugly. "The Fourth Raikage is still too young. If he chooses to fight us head-on, he'll be the one who loses."
"Perhaps we could contact Iwagakure and ask them to send troops so we can attack the Hidden Cloud from both sides," Hiruzen Sarutobi suggested.
Danzo waved a hand and rejected the idea outright. "No need. Konoha is taking the whole prize that is the Hidden Cloud."
Hiruzen Sarutobi started to speak, then stopped. He was worried the other villages wouldn't stand by and watch Konoha recover its strength at the Hidden Cloud's expense. They might send troops to help once the Hidden Cloud could no longer hold out.
But looking at Danzo's confidence, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew his suggestion wouldn't be accepted.
"In that case, we could commit more troops and try to end the war quickly. The Uchiha are unhappy that they weren't allowed to take part in this war. Perhaps we could bring in some Uchiha shinobi from the Police Force," Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed again.
"The Uchiha?" Danzo furrowed his brow. "I'll deal with them after we win this war."
"What are you planning to do?" Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately grew wary.
Danzo sneered. "Make those ambitious fools face reality!"
"Don't act rashly. The Uchiha are members of the village, too. If we fight among ourselves, it'll only benefit the other villages." Hiruzen Sarutobi tried earnestly to dissuade him.
"Enough!" Danzo raised his voice. "I'll decide what to do about the Uchiha."
"Danzo, I'm the Hokage!"
At those words, Hiruzen Sarutobi was at a loss for words.
That line again. Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost count of how many times he'd heard it from Danzo.
Unwilling to let Danzo keep gloating, Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored him, turned around, and strode out of the office.
Danzo watched Hiruzen Sarutobi disappear from view, the corners of his mouth rising higher and higher.
Hiruzen, just you wait and see! You'll watch me lead Konoha to become the supreme power in the Shinobi World!
Danzo laughed with delight, hands clasped behind his back as he strolled to his desk. He slowly sat down, leaned back comfortably, and rested his hands on the armrests.
This was the life he'd always wanted. Once the war was over, he would ride the momentum of their great victory, resolve the Uchiha problem, and bring Shiraishi under his control.
He would lead Konoha to new heights and toward a bright future.
At the thought, Danzo closed his eyes, his smile growing ever brighter. His wrinkled old face crinkled like a chrysanthemum.
Just then, the office door opened again. Hearing the noise, Danzo opened his eyes and looked ahead. His body stiffened.
Someone he absolutely did not want to see strode into the office.
Biwako Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi's wife—the person who had given Danzo the most trouble and whom he least wanted to face since his reincarnation.
"What brings you here?" Danzo forced a smile and put on a concerned expression.
Biwako's features were stern to begin with. As she glared at Danzo, she looked even more imposing.
"Why do you think? Ever since you came home for dinner last time, you haven't set foot in the house once."
"Things have been tense between the village and the Hidden Cloud lately. I can't be in two places at once, so I've had to stay here for now," Danzo hurriedly explained.
"Tense? You think I don't know what's happening at the front?" Biwako grew angrier. She could tell that her husband simply didn't want to go home or see her.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, if you don't want to see me, you can just say so! I, Biwako, am not some weak woman who depends on you. If you don't want to come home, then don't come back."
"Stay here and guard your Hokage Position for the rest of your life!"
"We're getting a divorce!"
With that, Biwako turned and walked away without even looking at Danzo.
Danzo stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Biwako's retreating figure. Her final words—"a divorce"—echoed in his mind.
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